City officials in Chesterfield, Missouri have banned the use of engine brakes due to public noise complaints. Truckers who violate the new law may face up to three months in jail.
Chesterfield Police chief Ray Johnson says fellow drivers and members of the public who live along I-64 and Highway 141 have regularly complained over the “machine gun-like sound of the Jake brakes.”
“It does make a loud noise, which is what we’re trying to control,” Johnson says. “That’s not to suggest that the truckers are just trying to make noise… what we’re trying to encourage is to do it outside of a populated area such as Chesterfield.”
According to CBS St. Louis, breaking the new law could result in a $500 fine and up to 90 days in prison.
Johnson himself doesn’t expect the law will be heavily enforced. Instead, city officials are hoping truck drivers will voluntarily submit to the ban.
“We will install signage which essentially makes certain areas of the interstate a no-noise zone,” Johnson said.